The Silver Knight's Oath
The knighthood ceremony concluded without incident. Though I had pushed things a bit, the excuse was just plausible enough, and the cathedral side, knowing that, raised no particular complaints. An incompetent knight of common birth, chosen by no one—that was how they viewed Diana. There was no reason for them to be bothered by me taking just one of her.
Still.
‘This is pretty bad.’
Bruises blooming across her entire body, her frame visibly gaunt from poor nutrition. Seeing Diana in person, rather than as a passing scene in the game, was far more severe than I had known. I had been aware that the knights treated her poorly, but I never imagined it was this bad.
Well, it doesn’t matter now. From here on, things will be quite different for her, at least.
As I left the cathedral, I glanced around. Already, clusters of nobles were forming factions and deepening their bonds, and there were no shortage of groups chatting with the clergy to build connections. Of course, I had no intention of joining any of them. The ceremony might be over, but my schedule was far from finished.
I slowly scanned Diana’s appearance. Her armor was crudely made at a glance, and her sword’s edge was completely dulled. Pathetic—that was my honest assessment.
Reading my gaze, Diana lowered her head with a somewhat sullen expression. Seeing that, I felt a sudden certainty. I needed to get her proper equipment immediately.
Fortunately, I had enough funds after selling my knighthood slot at a high price.
“Lift your head.”
Diana cautiously raised it. Her dazed face suggested she still found everything that had happened to her unfamiliar. I paused to think—whether to pretend ignorance and ask about her, or to move locations first. Diana knew nothing about me. But as she served as my escort, she would naturally come to learn.
“What’s your name?”
“Diana, my lord.”
“Your origins?”
“…I have none. I spent my childhood at the cathedral.”
I nodded as if hearing it for the first time, though I already knew everything.
“Do you know who I am?”
“I do not, my lord.”
“Kyle. Kyle Winfred.”
At the clear resonance of the name Winfred, Diana’s shoulders twitched.
“You won’t become a knight of the Winfred household. You were knighted solely as my personal knight.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Quiet resolve filled Diana’s eyes. Not for her own glory, but a solemn determination to become solely Kyle Winfred’s sword.
Perhaps because of my experience living as a villain all my life, an indescribable doubt suddenly crossed my mind. That strong gaze—could it be a lie, meant only to please me?
“You’d best give up on dreams of rising in status. My standing in the family isn’t exactly good. You won’t receive proper knight treatment anywhere.”
“I do not mind.”
“Is that so? What if I’m the worst villain in the world?”
“That is of no importance either.”
Diana looked at me quietly. Her eyes were filled with a conviction bordering on madness.
“I am my lord’s sword. If you command me to cut, I will cut. If you command me to thrust, I will thrust.”
“…”
“A sword has no will of its own.”
A hollow laugh escaped me at Diana’s chilling words. Cut when told to cut, thrust when told to thrust. It was the essence of a knight, stripped of romance and chivalry—purely realistic.
“…”
Her short silver hair gleamed under the light. I chuckled and turned my back.
“We should get you equipped first.”
Recruiting Diana was indeed the right choice.
****
I walked the streets with Diana. The family’s guards had stubbornly blocked my path, claiming it was dangerous for me to wander alone or that they couldn’t entrust my safety to a newly knighted female knight. It had been quite troublesome, but there was still plenty of time before sunset.
Though I wanted to head straight to the blacksmith to look at Diana’s equipment, I was already exhausted from the ceremony. Even the finest scenery is best enjoyed after a meal. To fill my growling stomach first, I entered a restaurant in the middle of the street.
“Welcome to Crothian.”
The restaurant’s name was Crothian. Its exterior evoked a medieval European castle, with pristine white marble and gold decorations covering the entire building. It was a high-end establishment favored by the local nobility.
“I will guide you to the upper floor.”
After confirming my status, the waiter hurriedly led me to the topmost floor. It seemed the floors one could use were divided by status.
I glanced sideways at Diana. She was trying to maintain a neutral expression, but her shoulders twitched every time she passed a lavishly decorated piece of craftsmanship. Apparently, her shoulders were beyond her control.
Before long, we arrived at the balcony on the top floor. As I sat at the perfectly set table, Diana naturally took up a rigid posture behind me. It was so natural that I almost missed it.
“What are you doing?”
“I am on escort duty.”
Escort duty, my ass. Who chokes while eating?
“Sit.”
“Me, my lord?”
“Who else is here besides you?”
At my exasperated command, Diana moved stiffly, like a broken clockwork toy, and sat down.
“…What are you doing?”
“…?”
The problem was that she had chosen the seat right next to mine.
“Why are you sitting right beside me?”
“Sitting beside you makes it easier to respond to any unforeseen situations.”
“It’s uncomfortable, so go sit over there.”
“…Understood.”
A flustered Diana scrambled to the seat across from me. Soon after, the ordered food filled the table. The portions were excessive for just the two of us, but that was fine. Diana was a certified food fighter according to the official setting book.
“Eat comfortably.”
I put food in my mouth first. Diana began eating awkwardly, glancing at me. Watching her eat was quite entertaining. Instead of using a proper knife, she was cutting steak with two forks. Then she confidently took a bite of freshly boiled soup, only to clench her fist and tremble as her mouth burned.
Honestly, it was hard to hold back my laughter. Not in a bad way—in a good way.
“You eat well.”
“…”
The clatter of utensils filled the space. The food on the plates disappeared one by one at a rapid pace. As expected, the setting book didn’t lie.
After finishing our meal like madmen, we left the restaurant. Our destination was the blacksmith. With our stomachs full, it was time to head to our original goal—Diana’s equipment. My mind felt lighter. After all, I had achieved everything I needed to do here.
Except for one thing.
‘I still need to deal with the ring…’
I carefully touched the ring case in my pocket. Keeping it was unnecessarily bothersome, but its value was far too high to simply discard. No choice, then. I had to sell it as soon as possible and turn it into money.
I walked steadily. Though I saw shops dealing in jewelry and accessories along the way, their scale was too small to handle a ring of this worth. I couldn’t just walk into every shop for an appraisal either. So I kept my eyes open, searching for a suitable store.
And then—
“Oh.”
I finally found it. A jewelry shop of overwhelming size.
“Welcome! Feel free to look around. We’ve just received many new items.”
I passed the shopkeeper soliciting customers at the entrance and stepped inside. That was when—
“I greet the Sun of the North. I am Orkan, the manager.”
A soft, gentle voice. Turning my head, I saw a man greeting me with a smile. The Sun of the North—another name for Winfred. He must have recognized it from the family crest on my lapel.
“Do you require assistance?”
“I’d like to sell some jewelry.”
“Ah, then we’ll need to appraise it first. May I see the item you wish to sell?”
I immediately took the case from my pocket and handed it to him. He carefully opened it and muttered briefly.
“A ring.”
“Yes. Appraise it for me.”
“This way, please.”
He guided us to a reception room. After sitting down and briefly looking around, a sigh-like exclamation escaped his lips as he began the appraisal in earnest.
“Haegum Stone. And of the highest grade, at that.”
Haegum Stone—one of the three most outrageously priced gemstones in this world. Especially at the highest grade, its price soared to astronomical heights.
“And a ring crafted from Haegum Stone… This is a first for me.”
Embedding the highest-grade Haegum Stone into something as trivial as an engagement ring. Even if it was my own body, I couldn’t help but think the original owner was insane.
“Can you purchase it?”
“If it’s a purchase…”
He hesitated for a moment before answering.
“…It is possible. However, it will likely require an auction.”
“An auction?”
“We don’t have enough cash on hand to buy it outright. But Haegum Stone—especially high-grade pieces—have considerable demand, so if we put it up for auction, we should be able to sell it at a fair price. Though there will be a small commission, of course.”
An auction. It was quite an attractive option. I looked at him skeptically.
“And the payment?”
“You can collect it here anytime. If visiting is difficult, we can send someone to the ducal residence.”
Perfect conditions. With no reason or justification to refuse, I nodded readily.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“We’ll hold onto the ring for now.”
“Is there anything else you need?”
“Nothing in particular. Just a few documents, if you don’t mind.”
****
After finishing the paperwork, I left the jewelry shop. Diana followed behind me with her usual stoic expression. I felt relieved to finally be rid of that damned ring. Now all that remained was to get Diana’s equipment at the blacksmith.
That was when—
“Huh?”
A girl was hurrying away with her head bowed low. A familiar face. How could I not recognize it? It was the face I had seen every time I visited Isabelle’s mansion.
“Do you know her, my lord?”
“…I do.”
Erika, Isabelle’s personal maid. She disappeared into an alley as if fleeing. Her complexion, glimpsed briefly, was deathly pale, like a defeated soldier delivering news of loss.
And then—
Scenario Progress: 10%
“Shit.”
The system’s bullshit had begun.